Red Cross worker snatched by gunmen

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Red Cross worker snatched by gunmen

By Hakim Almasmari

(CNN) — Tribal militants in Yemen kidnapped a worker for the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday, three security officials told CNN.

The aid worker, a Swiss man, was taken to an unidentified location by five gunmen, the officials said. An ICRC spokesman in Yemen declined to provide details. The incident occurred in Abyan province, in the nation’s southwest. A claim of responsibility has not yet been issued.

The officials said they don’t believe the gunmen were linked to al Qaeda, which has members and sympathizers in Yemen. They call the kidnappers militants who had problems with the Yemeni government.

This comes after armed tribesmen in Abyan last week kidnapped two Egyptians and two Indians. Last week, a Finnish couple and an Austrian kidnapped in December were released by suspected al Qaeda militants after receiving a ransom.